Going to Dick's House is not an option for students seeking immediate medical attention on the weekend or after 4 p.m. on weekdays during the summer months, meaning that a trip to the emergency room at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center is the only recourse. While for the intoxicated and underage this could result in legal trouble, health officials stressed that students should never hesitate to call for help.
Dick's House still has an on-call physician available at all times during the summer. These physicians, though, mainly serve to advise students if immediate medical attention is necessary and can be seen otherwise for appointments during normal hours, according to Dartmouth Medical School professor Jack Turco, director of College Health Services.
Dick's House shortens its summer hours to save money, Turco said, as the health service is less utilized when there are fewer students on campus.
"Looking at the resources, we are spending your tuition money," Turco said. "We made some decisions, and there didn't appear to be any major need during the summer."
Turco said any student who is "Good Sammed" during the summer will most likely be taken to the emergency room at DHMC if the student requires medical attention. There are, however, fewer cases of intoxication during the summer, he said.
"It may be due to the relatively small number of students on campus or it might be a difference in the socializing going on in the summer," he said.
Safety and Security responds to significantly fewer alcohol-related incidents during the Summer term, College proctor and director of Safety and Security Harry Kinne confirmed. This decrease may be attributed to the lack of open parties, he said.
Safety and Security's protocols remain the same during the summer, Kinne said. Safety and Security is the first to respond to Good Samaritan calls. Once an officer arrives at the scene, Kinne said, the officer determines the student's level of intoxication and whether immediate medical attention is necessary.
"With Dick's House not open in the evenings during the summer, the officer will do an assessment, and if the person's level of intoxication is not too high, we will do a turnover to someone who is sober and will stay with the person," Kinne said.
Turnovers are fairly common throughout the year for mildly intoxicated students, Kinne said, and do not rise significantly in the summer.
Those students deemed to be in need of medical attention are transported to DHMC by an officer or an ambulance, which is always accompanied by Hanover Police
Hanover Police will then cite students for underage drinking, Kinne said.
The Hanover Police department also tends to have less contact with students during the summer because there are fewer students on campus, Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaconne said.
"If alcohol is an issue, there is a 99.9 percent chance that there will be some ramifications or consequences, if they are obviously underage," he said.
Dartmouth Emergency Medical Services' campus coverage program, in which student emergency medical technicians respond to medical calls on Friday and Saturday nights, will not operate during the summer. These EMTs are the first on-scene to provide a medical evaluation of the student.
Dartmouth EMS assistant director Jeff Spielberg '10 said he could foresee Dick's House summer hours creating difficulties for students and medical providers, who want students to call for help without fear of negative repercussions.
"I think there is that perception that there are real imminent dangers to one's criminal record, and people are much less inclined to call," Spielberg said.
Dartmouth EMS will work with Safety and Security on Dartmouth's safety boat this summer, however, patrolling the river and responding to calls for help.
Hanover Police checks the river access points, where incidents typically occur, before sunrise and after sunset, Giaconne said. He said he wants students to be especially aware that diving off Ledyard Bridge is prohibited, not because the police officers are "meanies," but because old bridge remnants at the bottom of the river could cause injury.
Several juniors interviewed by The Dartmouth said they do not recall many Good Samaritan calls being made during sophomore summer last year.
"I think people are definitely worried about getting a bad mark on their permanent record," Noah Levinson '09 said.
Turco said students should not let the chance of a police encounter affect their decision to seek medical assistance.
"We encourage students to take care of each other and watch out for each other," Kinne said. "If you are not sure if they require medical attention, they should call us, we would be glad to come over and evaluate."
